Duck Hunters Have Long Season, Smaller Bag

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission decided on the maximum allowable duck season but trimmed the bag limit that usually goes with a long season when it met by telephone conference call August 24. The Commission voted unanimously to set the length of the season at 107 days with two days used in the September 25-26 youth hunt. That is the maximum number of days for duck hunting allowed under the federal season framework. The federal framework allowed a bag limit of seven ducks per day but the Commission cut that number to five. Goose hunting will run concurrently with the same bag limits as last year. Goose populations have generally continued to hold their own locally with good numbers seen in Alberta where most of Idaho's geese originate. The outlook for ducks is less cheery. Although duck numbers remain high on a continental basis, the area of the Canadian prairie that supplies most of Idaho's northern flights suffered another year of drought. Nesting areas included in the pond index declined from 3.5 million to 2.5 million from 2003 to 2004. Waterfowl manager Tom Hemker told the Commission that duck limits would have to be reduced to two birds per day to make a biological difference but the Commission agreed with Commissioner Marcus Gibbs of Grace that a seven-bird limit would send hunters a wrong message about the status of ducks in Idaho. Hunters will have 105 days plus the two-day youth hunt, a maximum five ducks per day with only one of those being a hen mallard, and a 60-day pintail and canvasback season beginning at the start of hunting. Idaho is split into two duck hunting zones that include the Southwest Region and part of the Magic Valley in one and the rest of the state in the other. The Southwest season runs from October 9 to January 21 and the rest of the state from October 2 through January 14. The September 25-26 youth hunt is open to licensed hunters 15 years old or younger.